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DRIFT ENGINE

The Fear Economy: Understanding the Market of Anxiety

When attention becomes currency, fear becomes infrastructure

May 04, 2025
∙ Paid

Fear is no longer a glitch in the system. It is the system.

Look closely at what dominates your feed: outrage, uncertainty, collapse, crime. Not because these are the only things happening—but because they’re the easiest to monetize. Fear holds attention longer than joy. Anxiety refreshes faster than contentment.

What we call "news" is often just a guided…

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